Vnitr Lek 2011, 57(12):1025-1028

Keratin fragments as a serological indicator in patients with a liver disease

J. Lata^1,*, H. Mrlianová², O. Stibůrek², J. Nožička³, Z. Čermáková⁴, J. Gottwaldová⁴, P. Drozd⁵

¹ Interní klinika Lékařské fakulty Ostravské univerzity a FN Ostrava, přednosta doc. MUDr. Arnošt Martínek, CSc.

² Interní gastroenterologická klinika Lékařské fakulty MU a FN Brno, pracoviště Bohunice, přednosta prof. MUDr. Aleš Hep, CSc.

³ Histologická laboratoř Ústí nad Orlicí, přednosta primář MUDr. Jan Nožička, Ph.D.

⁴ Oddělení klinické biochemie FN Brno, pracoviště Bohunice, přednosta doc. MUDr. Milan Dastych, CSc., MBA

⁵ Katedra biologie a ekologie Přírodovědecké fakulty Ostravské univerzity v Ostravě, vedoucí katedry Mgr. Pavel Drozd, Ph.D.

Introduction:
Determination of M30 antigen appears to be a sensitive method for evaluation of hepatocyte apoptosis. The aim of the present project was to implement this technique, compare M30 values in patients with a liver disease and healthy controls and to identify potential relationships between M30 values and other parameters.

Methods:
M30 antigen was assessed in 25 patients with a liver disease and 30 healthy controls. These results were compared between patients with a liver disease and the controls and correlated to a range of clinical and laboratory values, including tissue polypeptide-specific antigen (TPS), in patients with a liver disease.

Results:
We found significant differences in M30 values between controls and patients with a liver disease. The only significant correlations were the correlation between M30 and ALT, highly significant correlation between M30 and AST and highly significant correlation between M30 and TPS.

Conclusion:
The M30 antigen is a sensitive indicator of liver damage. Considering the highly significant correlation with TPS, it can be assumed that in some liver diseases, TPS could serve as a clinically useful indicator of apoptosis.

Keywords: liver disease; M30 antigen; tissue polypeptide-specific antigen (TPS); keratin fragments; hepatocyte apoptosis

Received: October 10, 2011; Published: December 1, 2011  Show citation